Seward, Alaska
Sunrise 4:53 am, sunset 11:00 pm, for a total day length of 18 hours and 7 minutes. Tomorrow will be 3 minutes and 36 seconds longer.
Yesterday, I was determined to see and photograph a winnowing WILSON’S SNIPE. The ventriloquist males, swooping down from great heights, have been serenading their best beloved, or whatever might be paying attention, for weeks. Staring up at the blank sky in the general direction of the eerie sound, it seemed impossible at first and a bit ludicrous. I hoped no one was watching.
Then, yes! A silent speck rising and falling with a quavering “woo-woo-woo-woo-woo.” There! Another male! First one, then the other, swooping and looping sky specks, vibrating their outspread tail feathers. What clever fellows!
Seen on the ground, one might not believe that these chunky, long-billed, short-legged shorebirds could be so aerobatic. Gotta see it to believe it; good luck!
After a hard rain last night, this morning dawned bright and clear with a very strong north wind with gusts to 23 mph. The temperature rose from a chilly 34 to a pleasant 50ยบ by mid-afternoon.
From the shore at Fourth of July Beach I saw a Humpback Whale breaching in the distance, white belly flashing! Wow! As I watched, it swam down the bay, closer. A pleasure craft had stopped and all the passengers in the stern were intently watching something that I could not see.
The huge Humpback approached the bow, dove under, and resurfaced a good distance aft, apparently undetected. Then it fluked, showing a small patch of white on the underside, dove deeply, and disappeared. So cool!
At the head of the bay, just as I was thinking about BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERS, last seen about a month ago, a handsome male popped up as if conjured! Another surprise!
Nearby, a dapper SEMI-PALMATED PLOVER expertly plucked amphipods from the muck, some wrapped in algae. Not a speck of mud spoiled his immaculate white plumage.
Over at the Waterfront, I did not refind the Wandering Tattlers, but caught a glimpse of a likely SPOTTED SANDPIPER flitting along the beach.
Happy Birding!
Carol Griswold
Seward Sporadic Bird Report Reporter